overcunning

The salesman's overcunning eventually made all his customers distrust him.

Definition

Adjective (rare or archaic): - Excessively cunning; having or showing an overabundance of craftiness, slyness, or deceit.

Usage Examples

• (His excessive cleverness caused him to make a fatal mistake.)
• (Her extreme slyness made others suspicious.)

Advanced Usage

• "overcunning in one's dealings": so shrewd or devious that it becomes counterproductive.
  • The merchant was overcunning in his negotiations, losing customers who felt manipulated. (His excessive trickiness drove business away.)

Variants and Related Words

• Overcunningness (noun): the quality or state of being excessively cunning.
  • His overcunningness was his greatest flaw, as it isolated him from allies. (His extreme craftiness was a weakness.)

Synonyms

• Overcrafty: excessively skilled in deception.
• Sly: having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
• Wily: skilled at gaining an advantage, especially by deceit.

Related Idioms

• Too clever by half: so clever that it becomes annoying or suspicious.

  • Her plan was too clever by half, and everyone saw through it. (Her excessive cleverness backfired.)

• Sharp as a tack, but dull as a tool: very intelligent but in a way that is ineffective or harmful.

  • He was sharp as a tack but dull as a tool, always scheming but never succeeding. (His cunning was wasted.)